Nineteen Steps
The novel is inspired by the experiences of Brown’s grandmother, who lived in London during the Second World War and survived the Bethnal Green tube disaster in 1943. The incident was one of the worst civilian disasters of the war, in which 173 lives were lost during an air raid when shelterers fell on top of one another at the bottom of the steps in Bethnal Green station, leading to fatal crush injuries and asphyxiation. The disaster serves as the centre point of the novel, with the pages before and after detailing the life of the protagonist, eighteen-year-old Nellie Morris, in the years leading up to and following the tragedy.
At the start of the story, Nellie is content working as an assistant to the Mayoress and spending her free time with her little sister Flo or her best friend Babs… as well as avoiding the advances of her next-door-neighbour, Billy. But when a chance encounter sees her running straight into the arms of the handsome American airman, Ray Fleming, Nellie starts to question whether she might be ready for love after all. And when Nellie suffers a huge personal loss, maybe love is the only thing that can help her to survive?
The book delivers a bittersweet tale that explores a snapshot of both the unimaginable joys and devastating heartbreaks experienced during the Second World War. The character of Nellie serves as an excellent centre to the story: a family-oriented young woman who is old enough to lament the current bleak state of the world but still holds on to the youthful ideal of a more hopeful tomorrow. While the plot is rather formulaic and its delivery is much more simplistic than is usual for a work of adult fiction, the authors nevertheless succeed in presenting their readers with a moving account of love, loss, and the importance of cherishing your loved ones in war-torn London. An emotional read that will leave readers heartbroken on one page and hopeful on the next.
